Looking for new food options

[Jackulwulf]

I have a pretty much full grown Tiger Sallie who I'm looking for more food options for. At the moment he's on a diet of crickets and superworms when I can't get crickets. Problem is I always have quite a few crickets die off on me no matter what I do. Not to mention he's been on them for quite a while and I don't want him becoming tired of them like he did with earthworms. He's quite a picky eater. I tried giving him waxworms for a treat once and he ate one and then wouldn't eat them anymore. He used to eat earthworms for a while before he decided he didn't want them anymore and stopped eating them. However he does love superworms and I was thinking on using them for a while as they have a longer lifespan and seem easier to keep alive then crickets.
I am aware that superworms are harder to digest but my Tiger seems to handle them no problem, but I also hear they are high in fat and can cause obesity. Can I feed him less superworms then I normally would to counter act that? When I do give him them he can handle 8 or 9 in one sitting. Problem is he always seems hungry, I know that Sallies often beg for food even when they don't need it but I do always worry that I'm not feeding him enough. Also I hear that superworms are low in calcium, will they ingest calcium loaded water crystals and cricket food to pack them with calcium?
Thanks for reading and I look forward to the advice you guys have.

P.S. Oh yea, how heavy should an adult Tiger Sallie be? I'm thinking of getting a weight scale to keep a record of his weight.

 

[misslyss]

The scale is a good idea to monitor his/her weight. A general rule of thumb on salamander weight is when looking directly down on the salamander, the head and stomach should be around the same size in width. I feed mine crickets and earthworms. They're a little on the pudgy side and they still beg as if they have never ate a day in their life. Thats one of the personality traits that make this species so great, if you ask me. :happy:

If they seem to be getting over weight, cut back a little. Vice Versa

If you don't already, try cracking the shell before feeding them the hard worms. That makes it easier for digestion.

Alyssa

 

[Jackulwulf]

Thanks for your reply. You posted some good info indeed. I'll have to shop around for a good weight scale. And by just looking at him, I'd say my boy's a bit pudgy as well. I'll definitely give cracking the shells a try, I do cut the heads off of them first before I feed them to him just so he doesn't get bitten so I can definitely split them open too. Thanks for the info.